💖 HOMILY - JANUARY 3 💖

First Reading - 1 John 2:29-3:6

Gospel - John 1:29-34

At some point in life, many people ask quietly but seriously: who am I really, and what is my life becoming? We measure ourselves by success, failure, approval, or comparison, yet still feel unfinished. Today’s readings speak directly into that longing and offer a hopeful truth: our identity is not something we achieve, but something we receive, and it is revealed as we remain close to Christ.

The First Reading from 1 John makes an extraordinary claim. We are not merely called God’s people; we are called God’s children. This is not a future title reserved for later, but a present reality. Even if the world does not recognize it, our true identity is already given. Yet the reading is also honest: what we shall be has not yet been fully revealed. Christian life is lived in this tension between gift and growth, between who we already are and who we are still becoming.

Because we belong to God, our lives are meant to reflect that belonging. Remaining in Christ is not about moral perfection, but about direction. When our lives stay oriented toward him, sin loses its power to define us. We are no longer trapped in cycles of guilt or self-condemnation. Instead, we grow into freedom, learning day by day what it means to live as children of God.

The Gospel from John shows us how this identity is revealed. John the Baptist points to Jesus and names him the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John does not speak from theory, but from recognition. He sees the Spirit descend and remain upon Jesus. What matters most is that word remain. Jesus is the one in whom God stays, and the one with whom we are invited to stay.

John the Baptist again models humility and clarity. He does not claim the center. He points away from himself. His joy is complete because he knows his role. His witness teaches us that identity becomes clear when we stop trying to be everything and instead remain faithful to what God is doing before us.

Dear friends, we do not need to prove our worth or invent our identity. We are already loved. We are already claimed. Our task is not to control the future, but to remain in Christ and allow that relationship to shape us.

This is especially meaningful in everyday life. Many people feel pressure to perform, to hide weaknesses, or to live up to expectations that drain the soul. Today’s word frees us from that burden. Being a child of God is not about appearing flawless. It is about staying connected, returning when we wander, and trusting that God’s work in us is not finished.

Remain in Christ. Let go of identities built on fear or comparison. Allow your life to be shaped by the One who takes away sin and restores dignity. As we stay close to him, our true identity slowly comes into focus.

We may not yet see fully what we shall be, but we already know this: we are God’s children, and in remaining with Christ, we are being led into the fullness of life.